Judge sentences Moscow father to life for giving meth to his kids

MOSCOW -- Bradley Scott Jacobs, the 43-year-old Moscow father who pleaded guilty in March to giving methamphetamine to two of his children, was sentenced to life in prison Monday.

District Judge John R. Stegner fixed six years of the sentence so Jacobs' daughter will be an adult before he is eligible for parole.

"I find the nature of this offense to be heinous," Stegner said. "You were entrusted with your children and you violated that trust. For what you've done, I don't think your daughter should have to worry about your release until after her 18th birthday."

Jacobs was arrested in October after his daughter, now 12, tested positive for meth. She told a social worker and a Latah County sheriff's detective Jacobs forced her and her brother to smoke the drug so they wouldn't expose his drug use.

Jacobs' son, 13 at the time, tested positive for meth and marijuana.

Darrell Anglen of Viola testified on Jacobs' behalf at the sentencing hearing. Anglen had been visiting Jacobs' cell at the Latah County Jail on Sundays as a member of Celebrate Recovery, a Christ-based addiction support group.

Anglen said he had provided Bible study and counseling for 400 to 600 inmates at the North Idaho Correctional Institution in Cottonwood in his work with Celebrate Recovery over the last year. Based on that experience, Anglen said he believed Jacobs' recent interest in Christianity was not a "jailhouse conversion."

"I believe I watched (Jacobs) do some things in the last five months that are exceptional," Anglen said. "Things that go far beyond what I'd have seen had he not been sincere."

He said Jacobs had transformed from a man "being eaten up from the inside out with anger" to a man ready to take responsibility for his actions.

But Deputy Prosecutor Jim Craig said Jacobs' presentence report showed he was still blaming others for his problems. Craig said Jacobs told the presentence investigator he didn't force his kids to smoke meth, but that he left out his meth pipe and they asked him if they could try it.

Craig also told Stegner Jacobs' offense was "the most horrific crime I've seen as a prosecutor." He recommended a life sentence with 15 years fixed so Jacobs' youngest son, who turned 4 Monday, would be 18 before Jacobs was eligible for parole.

Jacobs' public defender, Tim Gresback, recommended Jacobs be sentenced to the 180-day rider program at Cottonwood. Inmates who successfully complete the drug treatment program are placed on probation.

"He's done some terrible things," Gresback said, "but he's not one of the evil people in our society."

Jacobs pled guilty March 1 to one felony charge of delivery of a controlled substance, which carries a maximum sentence of life and a $25,000 fine. Jacobs also was ordered to pay restitution, which amounted to about $1,000.

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Mills may be contacted at jmills@lmtribune.com.